JUNO TALKS with Dominik Clever from BORA
High performance in the kitchen and in the saddle. How BORA became an international design brand in just a few years – with a superior product and the right sports sponsorship. A conversation with Dominik.
“You don’t need a range hood for a beautiful kitchen,” says BORA CEO Willi Bruckbauer. Can we assume that the invention of your system was primarily meant to solve an aesthetic problem? In other words: to protect the kitchen from ugliness? What’s the origin story of BORA?
Absolutely. BORA’s origins aren’t rooted primarily in product development, but in Willi’s vision of rethinking kitchens altogether. He is a master carpenter in the seventh generation. What always bothered him was the traditional range hood – it limits design. Big hoods hanging in the middle of a room prevent open, airy kitchen architecture. At the same time, the technology was inefficient, loud, and disruptive. So the question became: how do we create more freedom in kitchen design? That’s how the first BORA solution came to life. You could say: aesthetics were the trigger, functionality was the breakthrough. From a marketing perspective, that was a huge lever: we tackled a problem people subconsciously found annoying, but that few had ever voiced out loud. That gave us a clear, emotional message in the market. We’re not just solving a functional issue – we’re making kitchens more beautiful, quieter, and more free. And that laid the perfect foundation for building BORA as a premium brand.
For many, the kitchen is the most important place in the home – a space full of life and culture. At the same time, it’s becoming more and more technical. How do you see the concepts of culture and technology coexisting in the kitchen?
To me, that’s not a contradiction – it’s a huge opportunity. Technology shouldn’t be an end in itself. It has to serve people and enhance the cooking experience. For us, that means technology must be intuitive and never overwhelming. The user should be able to focus on what it’s really all about: good food, togetherness, enjoyment. When tech is well designed, you hardly notice it anymore. Our BORA X BO steam oven is a great example. A few clicks deliver results that used to take years of experience. Automatic programs, perfect steam extraction, even a self-cleaning feature. That lowers the barrier and brings more joy to cooking. That’s how technology genuinely promotes culture.
What’s your idea of a perfect kitchen today?
No question: open, spacious, full of light. A live-in kitchen that flows into the living and dining areas. Lots of counter space, a kitchen island, natural stone, real wood, premium materials. I also love small, thoughtful design touches that make the space feel more livable – like an integrated bench. And of course, our appliances: my Professional 3.0 cooktop extractor with stainless-steel Tepan grill, the BORA X BO oven, and the BORA Cool with Ice Maker are in constant use. Since the Pro 3.0, I hardly need pots or pans anymore – so much happens directly on the Tepan. It’s fast, healthy, and fun.
Where is kitchen design heading in the next few years?
We’re seeing several major trends:
- Open living spaces will continue to dominate. Kitchens are blending more and more into the living area.
- Technology is becoming more subtle: voice control, AI-assisted cooking, smart automation – all maximally intuitive.
- Healthy eating and sustainability are gaining importance. Appliances that cook gently, save energy, and support health are in demand.
- Personalization: users want appliances tailored to their needs – customized, but easy to use.
These are the exact areas we’re working in: tech that supports without taking over, design that creates space, and systems that help people cook more healthfully and effortlessly. We focus on long-term, international trends – because on average, it takes 6 to 8 years to develop a new appliance.
You often talk about BORA as a “brand.” Would you say BORA was always intended to be a brand-driven company?
Yes. That was clear from my very first conversations with Willi. It was never just about the technical invention – it was always about establishing the innovation as a strong premium brand. Willi had read a book where my former employer, Zott, was cited as a best-case branding example: short, memorable, internationally viable. That’s what inspired him – short, clear, distinctive. And we’re convinced: in our category, you can only compete with innovation and a strong brand. The market is crowded, but a strong brand builds trust and sets you apart.
What do you mean when you say you want to become a “Love Brand”?
We’ve defined that very precisely – and even developed our own Love Brand Score. For us, a Love Brand isn’t a brand that has to please everyone. We’re allowed – and we want – to challenge conventions. We consciously break norms, question the status quo. Our internal KPIs don’t just measure awareness – they also track image factors like innovation, experience, and design leadership. Experience is central for us: how does the brand feel in use? How consistently do we improve the lives of our customers? And: do we have the courage to set new standards?
Let’s say someone is shopping for a premium kitchen – like Poggenpohl, for example. Do they explicitly ask for BORA by name? Is your brand already that strong and emotionally charged?
Not across the board – yet. But that’s our goal. For now, many customers first encounter BORA at the kitchen studio. Our retail partners play a key role here. But we clearly see a growing number of people coming into showrooms already with a picture of BORA in their minds. That’s exactly the kind of pull effect we’re working on intensively: more visibility, more desirability, more direct contact with end customers – so we can hand over well-informed, interested prospects to our dealers.
Your CEO once said in an interview: “We created something the world truly needs – yet no one knows us.” So you decided to sponsor professional cycling. Did that boost brand awareness?
Cycling offers massive reach – internationally, and on a recurring basis. The Tour de France is the third-largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics and the World Cup. And at the time, it was relatively affordable to get in. So yes – sponsorship gave BORA a massive push. But just putting your logo on a jersey isn’t enough. If no one knows what BORA does, the impact fizzles out. That’s why we knew from the start: sponsorship alone isn’t enough – you need consistent activation. We focused early on media presence: TV spots on Eurosport during the Grand Tours, targeted campaigns, and content built around the team. That creates context. People see BORA in cycling, hear the name repeatedly – and then the message clicks: BORA stands for innovation in the kitchen.
Why cycling? Watching athletes climb Alpe d’Huez in your jerseys doesn’t exactly scream “fine dining.”
Actually, it fits perfectly – if you think it through. There’s more behind it: as a brand, we stand for a healthy, conscious lifestyle. That’s reflected internally as well. At our in-house BORA canteen – the “Hälzyba” – everyone gets free salad and healthy sides. Sugar is taboo in our recipe suggestions. Many of the recipes we develop align with the same active, healthy lifestyle our athletes live. And let’s be honest: it works on an emotional level, too. Watching elite athletes push themselves to their limits reinforces our brand values. And that’s exactly what our appliances offer in the kitchen.
How do you weave that into your sales narrative? Do you say things like: “Our system performs like a perfectly synchronized team”? Or is this more for internal culture? You once said: “For me, standing still is not an option.”
Definitely. Sponsorship gives us access to experiences no other tool can offer. I always call them “money can’t buy” moments. For example, we regularly invite select retail partners to exclusive events – like the Tour de France finale in Paris. Partners get product training through the BORA Academy, behind-the-scenes insights into our pro team, and we go on rides together – 50 or 60 people cycling through the heart of Paris. Then we watch the final stage live. In the evening, our pro riders even join us in person. That turns sponsorship into real, lived partnership.
»Die Viralität des Dunstes, der nach unten abzog – das war neu. Und da hat jeder hingeschaut.« Kannst du mir dieses Statement eures CEO ein wenig erklären?
We didn’t exactly reinvent physics – we just use it more cleverly. Steam rises. That seems obvious, which is why traditional range hoods existed for decades. But we said: it’s more efficient to extract steam right where it forms – directly at the cooktop. That flipped the whole concept of ventilation on its head. And that aha-moment immediately drew attention. Everyone who sees it for the first time gets hooked. That’s the real virality: the image sticks in your mind. That’s why our evergreen visual – frontal shot, pots, visible steam being drawn downward – is so powerful. That’s our signature shot. By the way, we never faked the steam in our visuals. Every bit of steam you see is real, photographed live. We even have a 50+ page internal CI guide just for steam: how should it look? How should it be lit? What camera angles? Today, we use AI and CGI to optimize those visuals of the kitchen – but the foundation is always: maximum realism, maximum authenticity.
So how should steam look?
Steam needs to look natural – and be clearly visible. It’s incredibly difficult to capture it from different angles. If you use dry ice, the steam often looks grainy and disappears too quickly. After a long search, we developed our own mixture that generates steam in a way that looks natural – just like in a regular cooking process.
You once said: “For us, design isn’t decoration. It’s strategy.” Can you explain your approach to design and how it fits into your brand strategy? Would you describe yourselves as a design brand?
Yes, I’d say: BORA is a design brand today. But not because we chase after decoration. For us, design is an integral part of function. Our appliances are made to blend seamlessly into the kitchen architecture – not dominate it. We want to create space, not cause disruption. That’s why we say: at BORA, design means reduction to the essentials. No visible controls, no buttons, no bulky hoods. Clean lines, premium materials, intuitive operation, nearly invisible tech. Design always serves the user experience. And it directly supports our brand strategy: premium, avant-garde, minimalist – but warm. This runs through everything: from product development to marketing to our global points of sale. Even our visual language, our color codes, the way we show steam – it’s all carefully curated and aligned to that strategy.
You’ve achieved a lot in just a few years. You’ve introduced a new category to the market and established BORA as a brand across Germany and Europe. But still, 95 % of the market is equipped with conventional range hoods every year. So there’s plenty left to do. What are the biggest challenges for the brand in the years to come?
- Defending our position as innovation leader.
- Building new product categories. Steam ovens existed, yes – but hardly anyone truly knows their benefits. We have to do pioneering work again, without building the market for our competitors.
- Internationalization. Every market is different. What works in Germany won’t necessarily work in any other country. We have to manage the brand with precision.
- Broadening brand positioning. We’re strong as a cooktop extractor specialist – but becoming a full kitchen appliance brand is a big leap. We have to find the right balance without diluting our brand. Sometimes, a little humor helps: our Bavarian roast pork just doesn’t work everywhere as a campaign motif.
The niche of “extractor” is still huge. So what drives you to go beyond it?
In the meantime, the “BORA-system” is offered by all renowned manufacturers – we’re no longer alone. That’s why we started building additional pillars years ago – alongside cooktop extractors, also built-in kitchen appliances like the BORA X BO steam oven or refrigerators. This brings us into the project business, where we can work with larger volumes. But it also means: speed and innovation remain essential.